Foldable leg structure for portable supports



W. J. WADE FOLDABLE LEG STRUCTURE FOR PORTABLE SUPPORTS Filed NOV. 18, 1954 Aug. 28, 1956 3 Sheehs-Sheet l INVENTOR Mu 07M 12 M2:

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Aug. 28, 1956 w. J. WADE FOLDABLE LEG STRUCTURE FOR PORTABLE SUPPORTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 18, 1954 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent FOLDABLE LEG STRUCTURE FOR PORTABLE SUPPORTS William J. Wade, Toledo, Ohio Application November 18, 1954, Serial No. 469,676

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-92) This invention relates to folding portable supports and is particularly directed to portable table-like supports for portable machines such as typewriters, stenotype machines, calculating machines, sewing machines, and the like.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a folding support composed of a plurality of top sections hinged together and capable of attachment to the conventional carrying case of a portable machine, each section being provided with leg structure which is foldable or collapsible into its own top section in such a manner as to be completely enclosed by the top which folds to provide a compartment which services as a carrying case for the leg structure.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved support with legs extended;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the support in folded or closed position for carrying or attachment to the carrying case of a portable machine;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of one top section illustrating the leg structure in collapsed or folded position;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the pivotal connection between upper and lower leg sections of the invention;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side view of a latch means forming part of the invention;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary bottom view of a top section illustrating a modified leg structure;

Figure 8 is a sectional detail view of a pivotal connection for the leg shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a plan Vl6'W of a latch member for use in retaining the top members in closed position; and

Figure 10 is a sectional detail view of an attaching means for securing to the case of a machine with which it may be used.

Portable machines, such as typewriters, are particularly popular because they are conveniently moved from place to place. Such machines would be still more widely used if it were not for the fact that the average table is too high, thus providing an uncomfortable and, in fact, an improper height for the use of such machines. The problem herein solved, is one of not only producing a support of convenient height but also of making it readily portable as a unit by itself, or if desired, by attachment to the carrying case of the machine with which it is frequently used.

As shown in the drawings, the support structure or table indicated generally at 10 in Figure 1, consists of ice are joined together by means such as hinge 18 having leaves attached to the inner surfaces of a flange 16 of each top member. Thus the top members may be swung from open position in Figure 1 to closed position illustrated in Figure 2. For convenience, the closed structure or box may have the approximate dimensions of the carrying case base portion of a portable typewriter, for example. Comparing Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted the top members 12 when extended provide a working surface and when closed provide the outer sides of a compartment for enclosing legs when they are not in use.

Leg structure 20 is hinged at 21 to each member 12 adjacent the flange 16 opposite hinge 18. Each leg structure includes upper and lower leg members 22 and 24 respectively, upper leg member 22 being shown as formed primarily of one piece having the configuration illustrated. It is to be understood that the members 22 may be formed of a plurality of parts suitably secured together. Lower leg members 24 may be of tubular crosssection as shown, or of other formed cross-section and are pivotally connected to the lower extremities 25 of upper leg member 22 by means such as pivot pins 26.

The fully extended structure shown in Figure 1 may be completely collapsed or folded by swinging lower legs 24 into position, shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, alongside upper leg structure 22, then swinging the upper leg structure into its top section 12, and then folding the top sections together as in Figure 2. A latch 28 is provided for maintaining the structure closed when not in use. With particular reference to Figure 3, it will be noted that the length of the leg structure 20 when extended is determined by the dimension of the top member 14. In other words, the fully extended legs are substantially twice the length of the top between two parallel flanges 16. It will be clear also that each leg structure 20, when folded into its top member 14, is completely received thereby, as determined by the width of flanges 16.

Each leg structure 20 may be provided with a brace 30 having a bayonet slot type aperture to latch the legs 20 in extended position; The brace Si? is connected between the upper portion of leg member 22 and top member 14 in conventional manner. As any form of brace may be used for this purpose, further description is believed to be unnecessary. Illustrative of latch means to hold the top members 14 in extended position is a releasable lock 32. a side view of which is shown in Figure 6. Flanges 16 are slotted as at 34, adjacent the hinge 18 to receive the nose piece 35 of lock lever 36 pivoted at 37 to the inner surface of one top member 14. The nose piece 35 is provided with a detent 38 to engage and hold the abutting flanges 16 together, while the other end of lever 36 may be formed with a. thumb pad 39 to release the detent 3% by rocking the lever 36 about pivot 37.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the pivotal connection between the lower extremities 25 of upper leg structure 22. and lower legs 24. To accommodate the upper ends of legs 24, the extremities 25 are formed with opposed Walls 41 and 42 pierced to receive the opposite ends of pivot pins 26. The legs 24 are provided with a pair of opposed longitudinally extending slots 44-, and the top of the legs are arcuately rounded at 46 about a center common to the upper ends of slots 44. Thus, in the positions illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, with the leg 24 pushed up wardly so that the pin 26 rests in the bottoms of slots 44, there can be no pivotal movement of leg 24- with respect to leg 22. However, by pulling downwardly on leg 24 so that pin 26 is at the tops of slots 44, the leg can be swung about the pin to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3.

A modified form of leg structure has been illustrated shown.

in Figure 7, in which an individual two-part leg has been While the lower leg member 24' may be the same as member 24 shown in Figures 1 and 3, the upper leg member 22 is pivotally connected adjacent one cornor of the top member 14. Leg member 22' may be a formed channel section substantially as shown, and is pivotally connected to a U-shaped bracket 54) by means such as aligned rivets 52. The bracket 50 is secured to the inner surface of top member 14 by spot welding or otherwise. To locate the leg 22' in its fully extended position, cooperating staked detents are provided in the bracket 50 and leg 22 as at 54 and 56 respectively. Although this detent arrangement is intended primarily to prevent unintentional collapse of the leg, it cooperates with the upper end of the leg 22' which may be arranged to either the right of the bracket 50 or flange 16 to retain the leg in fully extended position.

One form of latch 28 is shown in Figure 9 to retain the top members 14 in closed position. The latch here shown consists of a blade 60 pivoted to a flange member 16 of one top member 14 as at 61, and notched at 62 to engage a headed pin 63 provided in a cooperating flange member 16 of the other top member 14. A catch 64 having pin 63 as a pivot may be rotated from the position shown, to a position to close the notch 62 to prevent blade 66 from being disengaged from pin 63.

When it is desired to attach the improved support or table to a portable machine carrying case as indicated in Figure 2, one of the top members 14 has one or more holes 66 pierced therein to receive the shank of a wing bolt 68 (Figure Cooperating bolt receiving apertures are likewise provided in the base 70 of the carrying case, and the two cases retained together by means of a flanged nut 69 on the bolt 68. Thus, means are provided to removably attach the present support to a portable typewriter case, for example.

The support herein described is capable of being fabricated of many different materials, sheet metal, reinforced plastic, wood and fiber to name a few. Likewise, any combination of such materials is contemplated.

What I claim is:

1. In a portable support having a sectional top including a plurality of like sections, hinge means pivotally connecting said sections together along their adjacent edges, whereby one section may be swung into place at the underside of the other to form a closed compartment or extended along side the other section to form the top, the combination of leg structure individual to each top section including upper and lower members foldable together and into their top section, hinge means between said upper members and their respective top sections, and pivot means between said upper and lower members, said pivot means including a longitudinal slot in said lower member, a pin carried by said upper member, and extending through said slot, the end of said lower memher being arcuately rounded to permit said lower member to be swung about said pin when in one end of said slot.

2. In a portable support having a sectional top including a plurality of like sections, hinge means pivotally connecting said sections together along their adjacent edges, whereby one section may be swung into place at the underside of the other to form a closed compartment or extended along side the other section to form the top, the combination of leg structure individual to each top section including upper and lower members foldable together and into their top section, hinge means between said upper members and their respective top sections, and pivot means between said upper and lower members, said pivot means including a pin carried by one of said members, a longitudinal slot in the other of said members for receiving said pin to rigidly connect said upper and lower members together in one position and to pivotally connect said members together in another position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 572,698 Daudelin Dec. 8, 1896 965,338 Smiljanio July 26, 1910 1,063,642 Birdsall June 8, 1913 1,457,618 Coggins June 5, 1923 1,585,661 Galland May 25, 1926 1,739,449 Eckes Dec. 10, 1929 2,398,693 Bureau Apr. 16, 1946 2,433,315 Bieszki Dec. 23, 1947 2,451,763 Misko Oct. 19, 1948 2,508,627 Spiegel et al. May 23, 1950 2,542,394 Cohen et al. Feb. 20, 1951 2,643,926 Pucci June 30, 19 

